Yesterday was my first “day off” after a long stretch of night shifts and I intended to spend it super focussed on scribbling. But around mid-morning I decided to restring my guitar, which (of course) then required a bit of playing. A piece of something I had half-written years ago came to mind, so I put that with something else and a few lyrics that have been half-formed in the back of my mind for a while, and ended up writing a song.

…Well, I had nearly written it when this little coffee-coloured cat came tramping around my back yard. My neighbourhood is seething with homeless cats, which the council don’t want to know anything about. This one wasn’t skittish though; he peered through my windows & back door. So I decided to follow him around and take some photos.

…which is all quite ironic, really. It’s nice to have captured this photo of such intense feline focus, but it is a reminder that my one day to achieve some stuff is now filled with nearly finished things.

Thanks for the lesson, cat.

Ash on Google+

Here’s just a small selection of the things I’ve told myself in the past, so that Idon’t have to go through with quitting smoking entirely:

“I’m doing really well. One or two won’t be so bad, really. I can have just one or two. I’m much better at that now. I’ll make a pack last me a whole week. I can do that, easy!”

“…I feel sure I can quit now, I’ve proven it to myself. I’ll have just one to celebrate, and remind myself why I hate it so much. Just one.”

“I had better have one, because soon I may literally hurt someone if I don’t. And it wouldn’t be my fault. I just picked the wrong time to try to quit, that’s all. Next time I’ll plan it better, I know I will.”

If you’ve ever smoked and tried to quit, I’ll bet this is sounding familiar. Well, I’ve smoked for nearly 20 years. I’ve quit half-heartedly a couple of times, and somehow always ended up smoking again. The problem is: I enjoy it.

A week ago today, I had my last cigarette. I’ve found a pretty damn good way to quit this time, and it’s simple. I’ve stopped telling myself all the quitters’ lies that always mess me up. All that confidence boosting rhetoric that does nothng but make it harder.

For a start, the biggest lie I usually struggle with is the one you’re supposed to hammer home to yourself constantly, in the hope of making it true. “I don’t want one” you chant to yourself, when surviving the cravings. What? Of course you want one, or this quitting thing wouldn’t be hard. What a load of shytt. I’ve found it much easier to say to myself “I do want one, quite a lot. But I’m choosing not to, because I want that more.”

The next lie you find yourself repeating is “I’m doing so well, I don’t even miss it any more!” - bullshytt. I’ve quit before, and I know not a single day passed that Ididn’t miss it. With coffee, after food, with a scotch in the evening… these willalways be triggers. Pretending they aren’t is just another lie you have to struggle with, and it’s a complete waste of time & energy. I find it best at those times to consider several different ways smokers generally spend he last few days and months of their lives. I have a pretty vivid imagination, and this usually helps considerably. At least it takes my mind of wanting one quite so much.

Another lie is that the people who care about you will be proud of you and love you for it. They won’t. Of course they will say “well done” and try to be all positive and supportive – but they will forget about it in a heartbeat, and you will be finishing a coffee and grinding your teeth to a paste because the guy at the next table just lit up. This lie is a waste of time: you’re not quitting for anyone but you. So this time I’m owning that completely, and not pinning my determination on anyone or anything else.

So this time I’ve gone completely and utterly cold turkey, with no real planning or ‘cutting down’ first. Partly because I really am that stubborn; it’s not easy, I can assure you. I’ve been working night shift and there have been many times I could quite happily have traded a year of my life for a cigarette. Then I remember that pretty much exactly what I have been doing: giving up actual days of life. Because smoking will kill me. That’s always a pretty sobering thing to remember.

So this time I haven’t quit for anyone except me, and that is helping. Because f*ck smoking, and f*ck addiction – that’s why. F*ck people telling me it’s hard, I know that. It’s incredibly hard. They want to sell me gums and patches because that’s supposed to make it easier. Well, f*ck all that, too.

All I really needed this time was to remind myself every day that I’m choosing this. It’s what I want.

AUS: http://www.quitnow.gov.au/ ph. 13 78 48
UK: http://smokefree.nhs.uk/ ph. 0800 022 4 332

Ash on Google+

ASH: Working for Disney sounds like the illustrator’s nirvana. What did you take away from that experience?

ALYS: I was just out of University where I studied Graphic Design when I got the job at Disney. I worked in the Animation Dept and animated the ‘interstitials’ (break times) of the cartoon channel. As a company Disney encouraged us to take time out at lunch, relax, go to the gym, keep healthy and be a happy employee with the proviso that you get the work done by end of the day. My boss was amazingly talented, a great teacher and so funny and we are still friends today. The Disney offices in London are a very colourful and noisy. Every desk is crammed with cuddly Disney toys, merchandise, fluffy Mickey mouse pen tops or mouse mats, mugs…everything is ‘Disney!’. Made your eyes sore after a while.

Working for Mambo in fashion must have been quite a different experience. Did you find that fulfilling as an artist/illustrator? What did you take away from that?

Yes, Mambo was a fulfilling experience as their graphics were much more ‘my’ style of art. Art and humour is a great combo. The deadlines in fashion are relentless and you miss one at your peril. So the pressure was greater but so were the perks. I travelled to London and Paris on buying trips (yep, paid to travel and shop for clothes and inspiration!) and spent time in Hong Kong visiting factories where the garments were made.

Are you still inspired and finding time to work on you own work projects?

Yeah I am always still inspired to create my own work. I think deep down it’s what makes us designers truly content and happy. However finding the time for me was always a problem. So a year ago I made a decision. To make my own ideas and projects a priority over paid work and see where it takes me. It does sound like a recipe for disaster or more likely bone-crushing poverty ;D but sometimes you just have to make a plan, make the leap and have faith.

Have you experienced a large evolution in your own ideas and processes after working with different studios/writers?

Yes I have. That’s a great question. I think I have evolved quite considerably over the years. I felt I had to keep up with trends and styles and what the market wanted. Your own creative intuition adapts and grows over the years picking up from learning experiences, good and bad. So years later you know and trust the right answers will come from somewhere in your head.

What’s the one greatest experience you’ve had professionally?

It was starting a business with my older brother…a two year learning curve of epic proportions! We opened a co-working space in Sydney. We were an office that rented desk and private offices out to freelancers who were bored of working at home all alone. We built a great community. Trying to grow a business can be all consuming though, it tested me, pulled me in all directions, exposed my shortfalls and kept me up at night planning how the business could be the best it could be. The business lasted 2 years and when we closed, although it was not successful in terms of money, one of our customers said to us ‘you’ve changed my life for the better’ – and for me, in terms of success, that was all I needed to hear.

What piece of advice would you give to a fledgling illustrator?

You have to listen to the voice in your head that is your own creative intuition. It’s what YOU think that matters, that’s why people pay YOU for it. Don’t get too bogged down in what people are going to think of your work before you create it. It will only stifle you. Oh and don’t work for free. You only have to lie in a chair and open your mouth for a dentist to charge you $100. You are a Designer, it’s a profession, just like the rest of them, so why should you slave 10 hours over a design for free!

What is your worst experience?

Slaving over a design for 10hrs for free! I learnt the hard way

“Paper Lark” is your next project, tell us a bit about what you’ll be doing!

I have just launched an Etsy shop called ‘Paper Lark Designs’. I have always worked alongside photographers and so have an understanding of their needs and perspective about Graphic Design. Then one day last year a friend of mine sent me the most beautiful photo of her baby taken by a photographer, but that’s all it was, a static photo on an email. So I thought about designing cute products that photographer could use to offer their clients after a shoot. So Paper Lark offers downloadable artwork for iPhone covers, mini albums, luxe cards, dvd covers, bookmarks etc, all of which can be printed with the client’s photos. The photographer just buys the template and inserts their own photos before sending to the printers. The feedback has been great so far…and I am loving it.

Alys’ Paper Lark Etsy Shop

Paper Lark Designs on G+

Paper Lark Designs on FB

Paper Lark

Ash on Google+

I’ve seen the *Secret Santa* posts circulating, and I think it’s absolutely wonderful seeing the G+ community sharing happiness and joy! I did consider sharing a few of my little wants, but I honestly don’t have material needs. I do need more hours in a day, if anyone can swing that?

What I do want is to see things like this happen; so if you’d like to do something truly wonderful for someone this Christmas, you could support Heather for me. Heather Fay is one of those musicians who writes and plays from the heart. He music is deeply emotive, and every song exposes a rich tapestry of personal experiences.

She is currently working on her album, and as an independent artist she needs our support. I have been incredibly lucky to have been asked to work on the music video for what could be her next single, “Autumn’s Chill” – a track that I personally believe will be huge for her. If this is any indication of the quality of the album, we need to help her make it.

♥ You can be part of her album by donating at:
indiegogo: http://goo.gl/XswYM

If you can spare a few bits of green paper this year for someone, this is what I’d love from my Secret Santa:) Help make this album happen!

–
Artist: +HEATHER FAY

You can tune into some of her tunes:
YouTube: http://goo.gl/rgXdL

You can buy Heather’s music inc. Scrape Knee’d Girl here:
Google Play: http://bit.ly/HeatherFay (digital)
iTunes: http://www.itunes.com/heatherfay (digital)
Site: http://www.heatherfay.com/ (digital/CD)

my ♥ to:
· Heather for my much cherished signed copy of Scrape Knee’d Girl
· Flea for the magical props used in the photo!

Ash on Google+

I wanted to share this image properly as a wallpaper because it reminds me how far I’ve come, thanks to the Google+ community.

Download 1680×1050 PNG file here.

more at plus.scribblegraph.me

Ash on Google+

download Wallpaper 1920×1080 16:9 png (HERE)

Ash on Google+

Process: camera is mounted on the dash using a Joby GorillaPod; settings f/29 ISO400 exposure 30 seconds (photograph is taken at night). With this particular shot, I was stopped at the intersection for about 10-15 seconds, then drove through it. The bright red slash from the traffic light is, of course, actually green! The green stationary/starred light above it is the red one. Confused? The red slash is created when I drive through the intersection.

The following editing/filters are done in photoshop: Inverse image, 2 curves layers, and a Filter layer. Very simple! With CS5 I am using Adjustment Layers to edit the image non-destructively. I do a lot of tweaking to get the tones and subtle shadows balanced, so each one is slightly different; destructive editing is never a good option.

Download link

You can download this wallpaper here. 1920×1080 / 16:9 PNG

Ash on Google+

Exposure: 30 seconds F/25.0 ISO800

Download wallpaper 1920×1080 / 16:9 PNG · HERE.

Ash on Google+

Exposure: 30 seconds F/25.0 ISO800

You can download the 1920×1080 PNG file HERE.

Ash on Google+